


Bloomy Grin

by neoniox



Category: Outer Banks (TV)
Genre: I'm deciding some other things yet, It's an AU, Multi, and yeah dad maybank is their dad, be patient pls, it'll be popejj for now, jj and kie are siblings, pope and john are besties
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-04
Updated: 2020-05-23
Packaged: 2021-03-03 05:55:14
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,012
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24009970
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/neoniox/pseuds/neoniox
Summary: Where Pope and his best friend John get a new temporary job at a local weed store, but none of them expect something more to happen than professional relationships and five months of tiring work on delivery boats.
Relationships: JJ/Pope (Outer Banks), Kiara & John B. Routledge
Comments: 8
Kudos: 36





	1. Weed Rain

**Author's Note:**

> So, that's my first work in English (yeah, my natural language isn't English) and I'm asking you to be patient if I wrote something wrong. I'm improving my English writing and I decided to make it happen by writing this story about my new favorite show. I guess that's all.
> 
> I'm investing a lot in Kiara's storyline because I feel she will be the trigger of this work to happen the way I'm planning. Also, please, if you write or something like that, I'm open to criticism. I know all I need to improve my English is learning from the best.
> 
> Ok, let's start it by now.

"Oh, he's pretty..."

"Pretty rich. Yeah, guess everyone knows it." John B said, then dug into his pockets to find Maybank's party ticket. "Found it. Ok, come on."

Both of them made their beeline straight to Maybank's giant lumber door. There were two men with fancy black sunglasses. Pope assumed they were the entrance security guards. Well dressed and ready to jump anyone who wasn't fulfilling the owner's rules. 

"Name and ticket." one of the men asked, frowning as if it was a pattern for all the security guards. 

"John B and Pope." JB said as he pointed out who was who. Then he handed the tickets to the man. 

It lasted a couple of seconds to check out the tickets and analyze the boys' faces. Finally, the men accepted their entrance and they got into the house as if they were getting into a museum. But a little bit updated, sure.

The first thing Pope noticed was the smell of weed all over the air. He expected something like that, but not that much. Not too specific. Dare him mind that Maybank guy was a drug-addicted. He didn't get from where did all that guy's money come.

"Jeez, it's pouring weed here." John B was fast. Pope knew he'd speak about that fact beforehand.

"I told you it wasn't a good idea, JB." he reminded, observing some young men fooling around the pool. It looked like they were out of the planet somehow.

"Yeah, I couldn't take it seriously though." he turned to glance at Pope, taking his perfect bangs and hair into a bun while he was talking. "Listen. I promise it'll be fast. It's an unrefusable opportunity, ya know. Make it happen, for us."

Pope didn't know if those new offering jobs at a local weed store were acceptable. First of all, people who get into that life end without it. That wouldn't happen the better way, but the saddest and worst of it. Pope knew that type of branch could fuck their lives up. He was sure he was going to end up in a cage eating prison sticky and moldy food.

But he's still there. Following John B's eyes. He'd do anything to help his best friend. Just like JB would look after him every time he got caught by something bad all of a sudden. That's what he called true friendship. It's incredible the amount of meaning said word could carry. It's a simple word, but with too much energy and power.

"Right. Where's that Maybank guy at?"

Pope wondered the last time he'd seen JB smile like that at him. It was the last Saturday, they were getting into the pogues' boat. They'd never saved laughs nor jokes, always kidding around and making their lives less heavy. Because sometimes a grin or even a laugh could change anybody's day.

"That's my boy." John B clutched Pope's bare neck, enlacing it with his left arm.

Then, they crossed an enormous walkway John B said it'd guide them to Maybank's chateau. Pope found himself viewing the large flower garden beside them. Despite the appalling place it'd been set up, the weed smell was no more a problem for his nostrils. It felt like the plants had just drained all the bad smell and replaced it by lavender and jasmine.

Unlike the house's entrance, this other part might be the paradise on earth. It's incredibly wonderful how wide the green area is. Full of plants of several types and colors. Trees as voluminous as the house's size. All green defined and well cared. Pope wonders if that Maybank guy could be more than a rich womanizer. And honestly, something inside him says the man has at least a good sense of pick.

"Here we are." John uttered, breaking Pope's reverie at all.

They entered the house with many other security guards' acceptance and then, in the middle of the path, a girl caught their attention. To be honest, she interrupted them from walk up the stairs.

"What do you guys think you're doing here?" 

"Huh... looking for Mr. Maybank?" John B tried, but the teenager decided to carry on frowning at him.

Pope, that was behind JB, approached suddenly beside him, his pointer's nail rubbing his flat chin. He didn't know the girl in front of him, but he knew she could as well be Maybank's girl. 

"We heard about the offering jobs. That's why we got here." Pope was clear. "Also my boy right here knows Maybank really well and I have sure he'd be immensely upset if they don't get to talk now."

"Sure." she eyed Pope one more time, then was John's turn. The girl seemed to twitch her lips in a failed attempt to make them dread her. JB almost laughed at her. She was a bit too cute for that. "Follow me."

The two guys followed her upstairs while their eyes were observing the entire masterpiece around them. If Pope had gotten a castle like this, he'd make sure none of his relatives and friends were living the near house, but his. He'd like to know if John would accept his home invite.

"Two assholes are waiting for you here. They said you already know them." the girl barked at a half-opened glass door.

"Uh, he doesn't kno..."

Before Pope could finish the sentence, a young blond-haired man appeared in front of the said door. He looked straight at John, who gave him a kind smirk.

"Man, I don't believe you came." the guy mouthed, a trail of affection covering his voice.

"Y'know I need it so bad." JB said, then he gathered their hands, high-fiving as a greeting.

"Life's getting harder every day."

Pope almost rolled his eyes at that. First of all, it came from a well-fed mouth who has everything where and when he wants. A house where all the pogues on the other side of the island would fit in. Someone who was clothing a cozy grey hoodie and flowered shorts when people are looking for a blanket not to catch a cold at night. So what he's even trying to say with "life's getting harder"?

"Who's this?" and then, the man's eyes were surrounding Pope the next second.

"It's an old friend of mine. He's here because of the jobs too." said John B, grabbing Pope's shoulder to bring him closer.

"Oh." he arched his eyebrows, then held out his hand at Pope. "Name's JJ."

Pope stared at the man's hand for a minute. He didn't know if he was doing the right thing taking his hand or even agreeing to work with him. He wasn't ever what Pope imagined he'd be, but not because of his mature surname, but because of his appearance. He's kind of young, a fucking boy with a baby face that works with the wrong thing. 

He could've been working with everything else, but this. It somehow hurt Pope inside. He truly knows what it feels like to starve, his family had their bad times anyways. Or maybe, maybe not, it was the best way he'd found to solve life problems. Pope surely would have understood this from the beginning.

"Pope." so he took the man's hand.

"Hold's tight, Pope. Dare I say you've worked on many boats before?" JJ grinned smoothly at him.

"Yeah, sometimes." he assumed. Pope released the man's palm, their fingers colliding rapidly as their hands got their way back.

Pope got inside him the feeling of noticing the Maybank guy was staring him from behind his golden bangs and he felt weird. Strangely weird. He twitched his nose looking down the ground. It looks like he'd eat him alive any time soon. Did Pope say something offensive or unpleasant?

"Well." JJ cleared his throat, then looked at John. "As accorded, I'm gonna let you know your future functions the near five months, so... yeah. Follow Kie. I'll be back soon."

John was the first who arched his eyebrows. He was about to say something when the teenage girl appeared in front of him, her face full of impatience.

"It's me, I'm Kie. No, I'm not Kie, that twerp calls me Kie. True name's Kiara." she said practically guessing what John B was thinking. 

That time JJ was no more where the other three were. Pope noticed it when the girl started to curse him. And he was a bit too curious to know if Kiara was his girlfriend or something alike. Well, if Pope had a girlfriend he'd never treat her like that on her back or even in front of her. It sounds stupid, but they seem like siblings fighting for the throne.

"Excuse me, could I ask something personal?" they were walking down the stairs when Pope broke the silence.

"I'm not hanging out with my brother's crew."

Definitely what Pope wasn't expecting she'd answer, but truly helpful anyway. With this, he found out his future new boss has a sister who now guesses he was trying to ask her out since the beginning. Ok, it's not that bad at all. At least he's gotten the answers to his questions.

"Oh, ok. I'm sorry." he responded, not wanting her to be angry at him.

"It's ok, pogue boy. I've got used to it."

JB glanced at him, smiling suspiciously. Ok, that was something Pope would have to deal with later.


	2. Sea Smiles

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Where Pope and his best friend John get a new temporary job at a local weed store, but none of them expect something more to happen than professional relationships and five months of tiring work on delivery boats.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, I'm back with a new chapter!  
> Alright, I had an outbreak of inspiration writing this and released it earlier (It takes me more or less one week to write another chapter, so...)  
> Ok, that's the same thing. Sorry if I wrote something wrong (I did review the chapter but yeah) and I'm all ears if someone wants to comment something I did wrong, ok? Just leave in the comments. Another and last thing, thank you so much for the kudos and the hits, I'm very grateful and it helps me a lot!
> 
> Well, good reading everyone!

Nothing but a week passed by and the boys got used to wake up in the morning and go straight to Maybank's house. They were working on a broken gear of a delivery boat or more specifically a drug delivery boat. It was obvious how Pope felt like helping, even indirectly, people get their lives fucked up, but at the same time, he was being well-paid and having his best friend presence by his side. They'd work hard every day, but together. That's what Pope cared about.

He'd commented on his new job with his parents as soon as he got home that day, but nothing directed to drugs nor trails from where did he get it. At least he got many smiles from his father and even his favorite dish made by his lovely mother. Pope still feeling discontented lying like that at them, but it was necessary. Being disloyal was necessary for the first time in his life.

"Hey, why are you so thoughtful today?" John came from behind the boat, handing him a clean towel as he sat down by his side.

"Just... routine thoughts." he hummed, shrugging as he cleaned his own hands to take out the boat's engine dirt.

"It didn't convince me. Come on, tell me. You know I'm a good listener." the boy persisted.

Pope tilted his head slowly just to glance at John's lazy grin. Sometimes he seemed like a ten-year-old kid falling in love with a girl at first sight. He'd typically send a bouquet of flowers with a chocolate box as a love declaration and the chick would reject him the next second. Pope almost laughed at his mean thoughts.

"I'm just wondering what mom's made for lunch, dude."

Suddenly, JB's expression changed to a surprised one as if he had just discovered something historical. It scared Pope initially, then he just frowned at that.

"You're thinking about JJ's sister, aren't you?" of course he mentioned this again or he wouldn't be John B. Routledge, the Great.

"I ain't." Pope was honest, but he knew John very well to think he'd stop by now.

"Come on, she's hot. You don't need to hide it from me, I could eventually help you to ask her out or something." said he with gesticulating hands. 

"I'm starting to think you've got a crush on her and you're trying to avoid it by pushing her towards me, am I right?"

"Do I look that thirsty?"

"Indeed." Pope got up, throwing the now-dirty towel on the boat's seat. He'd use it later or even the other day.

"Break time?" John followed him, leaving his not-so-long hair loose. He took off his cap and hung it up on his pant strap.

They left the boats' place, which seemed furthermore like a gloomy basement, and walked down the large walkway to the great courtyard where nobody was around. There was a showy oak there, big enough to cover both the boys from the baking sun.

"I wish I could live here." uttered JB, then opened the water bottle he's got from the freezer the employees of the place provided for them. "Want some?"

"Why doesn't your friend let you in?" Pope questioned, embracing his knees and ignoring the question. "You know, you told me he's done much for you. And well, he still has this castle and I'm sure there's at least one room left for friends of his."

"He doesn't live here by himself, Pope." John glanced at him.

"Yeah, there's his sister and I get the reason why you don't want to live here, but..."

"Pope, it's his father." he sighed slightly, but still was something related to it. "He doesn't even own this fucking garden, his dad owns everything in here. He's the real boss. Got it?"

Pope took less than a minute to ratiocinate whatever John has just said. Ok, he wasn't expecting himself to be that dumb as to believe a sixteen-year-old could ever command a drug army. When he was allowed by his mother to watch any movie on TV, it was almost always about drug traffic or sci-fi, and he always reminded seeing older men acting on those types of roles. 

He's got the bad habit of judging people at first sight. It usually disturbs him a lot, because the majority of them end up being friends with Pope at the end. With John, for example, he took almost three weeks thinking if the boy was going to jump him if he approached and asked his name. He didn't know if it was some type of disorder or if his brain normally thought like that.

He even asked himself how John enjoyed having people like that around him. Pope was partially speechless about his thoughts. 

"He's just... he's replacing his father while he's not here." he took another sip from the water bottle.

"He looks kinda stern." Pope took the water bottle from John's hand and finished drinking it.

"Trust me, he's not." said he, chuckling softly. "He ignores semblances and cares a lot about his friends. I'm sure your two would get along."

"Are you suggesting me to be friends with the co-boss?

"Why not?"

Pope shrugged. He's got nothing to lose though. He could even be friends with Kiara too. It'd be great expanding the friend zone. So, why not?

The rest of the afternoon was tranquil. They'd worked together on the boat's broken gear, which cost them less than the normal effort it normally required. Both of them were a little bit weary from the part-time work and begging mentally for a shower. 

John threw his and Pope's aprons into the wardrobe they always change and ran out of the place to reach his friend. It was night already. There was nobody around and Pope felt pleased with the silent place. That was the best hour of the day when they ended up their expedient and the entire garden was all theirs. Pope was just capable to hear the sea's waves hitting against the wet sand.

This time, they were almost leaving the house when a shout got them scared.

"Hey, assholes!" 

"Why you've gotta be that scandalous? Fuck." JJ approached as Kiara got the place by his side, beckoning at the two boys close to the house's gate.

Pope and John looked at each other, but John was the one who answered the two brothers as loud as Kiara did.

"Hey, it's been a while!" he waved back.

It took a few seconds for them to meet in the garden center. The path was being slightly illuminated and the contrast of the moonlight reflected in the flowers. It was extremely appreciative to observe.

"You guys going home?" Kiara asked, her hands over her waist.

"We need to." said JB, making a sad face.

"Got any commitments?" she frowned.

That's the point. They've got no commitments, but they were feeling kind of tired because of the tiring work. However, of course, John couldn't say "no" to his friends.

"Uh, I guess not."

"Right, stay the night then."

John and Pope looked at each other one more time, possibly thinking the same thing. It was the first time a kook invited them to something. Never in their lives they could've imagined it. On a scale of 1 to 10, the possibility that this would happen was the smallest possible.

When there's class division, there's war in between. That's something they learned from the beginning, even when it happens in a peaceful or familiar place.

"Alright." John shrugged, then the three of them eyed Pope. "Are you okay with that?"

Pope bit his inner lip, facing everybody there. It was something new to him. The one who was used to invite him to something like that was John B and he didn't even know how to respond to that question, mainly when he barely knows the house owners.

But he still keeps in mind it'd be cool to leave his comfort zone sometimes.

"Is it okay if..." he glanced at JJ, waiting for him to answer his half-question.

The blond nodded, then chuckled smoothly at Pope's question.

"Why not? We all friends, right?" 

Friends. He said it. Another thing Pope never would imagine a kook would say to a pogue. He felt comfy, welcomed, hopeful with that. Maybe all of them weren't like that, maybe the minority was as nice as JJ and Kiara were being right now.

"Ok, we have to do it!" said Kiara. She seemed kind of anxious.

"What? No, you don't..." she interrupted JJ's sentence before he could finish it.

"John B, Pope, what about a dive? Y'know, to relax a little."

Kiara was that kind of person. She smelled like diversion, grins, happiness, audacity. It sort of captivated people around her, her desire to make things happen while she's around. You could notice the fire warming more and more in her eyes as if she was about to do something crazy. She was dangerous in a good way, the better of them.

After her decree, and it sort of sounded like a decree, all of them started walking to the beach together, side by side. 

The place wasn't too illuminated nor too dark, it was perfectly steady. The poles lights let them face clearly how low were the tide movements and how inviting it looked like. 

John B was the first who took off his shirt and threw it on the sand. The boy started to run towards the sea, waiting for nothing to stop him from throwing himself into the water. 

"Oh my god, he's crazy." Kiara got surprised for a minute, then a big smile raised on her lips. "I adore crazies."

The girl was the second to run towards the dark and cold sea. She entered the water dressed and swam closer to John, who was spinning water while fixing his hairstyle. 

Pope and JJ eyed each other for a second, but Pope couldn't help but laugh at what had just happened. JJ even tried to hide his laugh will, but looking at Pope chuckling like that made his smile come out instantly.

"You come with me?" Pope was tempted not to do that when he could actually catch a cold and end up in a hospital, but there was the crew he was looking for, and well, catch a cold was nothing close to enjoy their presence and fooling together. "I actually don't want them to freak me out alone."

"You want me to freak out with you, sir?" interrogated JJ, his face briefly suspicious. 

"I'd be grateful, mister." Pope sort of imitated the blond, but in a funny way JJ couldn't avoid laugh.

"You guys coming or nah?" John barked in the distance, catching the boys' attention.

Both of them didn't wait to take off their shirts and run together until their feet reach the water. Pope felt like he was about to have an orgasm because of the relief the water provided for his tiring body. He sensed his upper muscles relaxing and an absolute state of peace archive him. And there was nothing like this, nothing so pleasant.

Kiara was overflowing happiness through her lovely smile and throwing water on John, who was trying to tickle her ribs. JJ was the one laughing from afar, but when he felt his face being hit by a jet of water, and we could as well say it was Kiara, he joined the joke and started tickling her neck. Jesus, she could almost feel her hips sore the late night when they got home.

Pope was observing everything with a big warm grin. That moment he felt a comfy feeling reach his body as if this was the most valuable image he'd ever seen in his life. Something he'd never forget. See this sea of smiles, people interacting and searching for a shoulder to cry on. And there's his, right here, three of them. He could always count on them. True... friends he'd never trade anything for.

And finally, he felt a tear fall from his eyes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That's it :) They're getting to know each other first and like, Pope's actually supporting that. Hope you guys liked the chapter as much as I liked writing it.
> 
> Note: Luke (Kiara and JJ's dad) will enter the story soon (maybe in the third or fourth chapter).


	3. Friends actually do that

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Where Pope and his best friend John get a new temporary job at a local weed store, but none of them expect something more to happen than professional relationships and five months of tiring work on delivery boats.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ho, hey, I'm back. This chapter took more time than what I was expecting, but yeah, it's done. So enjoy it :)

That night, after leaving the sea, they decided to go home before they could catch a cold and screw all the ride up. It wasn't actually a ride, but it still was at Maybank's house, so yes, we can call it a ride just because of the house's size.

Before they could enter the place, Kiara handed them some towels to wipe themselves and don't soil the floor. The Maybanks have hired a maid days before their father's gone, but she was used to working only on Mondays and Wednesdays, so they adopted the not-so-dirty rule. Both of the brothers did everything not to bring the whole house into a black hole of dirtiness.

"Alright, uh..." Kiara was facing the enormous aisle on the first floor of the house. There were about eight doors in it, all of them closed. Pope tilted his head smoothly to look more closely and he almost had labyrinthitis after doing that. There were only three rooms at his house and neither the aisle was so large. He twitched his nose at that, feeling a bit uncomfy. "Hey JJerk, help me, show Pope a room he can stay in. I'm helping John to find his." 

"Are you calling me that in front of my new mates? Really?" he narrowed his eyes at Kiara, then heard some giggles from behind him. John and Pope were shutting their mouths up with their hands and pretending nothing just happened. "What the fuck? You guys hate me, for real?"

JJ's cheekbones were rosy and he was almost pouting because of his angriness. The Maybank was surely looking like a giant pepper that was going to pop at any time. Pope found it funny and cute at the same time. He didn't know, but JJ didn't look like he's his co-boss sometimes, just because of what John had said to him before. He wasn't what Pope thought he was. And it was really, really good.

"Darling, please. You know I love you, don't be sad at me." the girl replied, kissing his brother's right cheek. 

"Gosh, you're so annoying, you know that?" he rolled his eyes, then turned and started walking through the aisle by himself.

John and Pope stayed there, eyeing the blond boy walking until he could find the right door and enter the room.

"Pope, what are you waiting for?" asked John, finding his best friend a little bit dazed for a second. It looked like he was seeing something stunning or stuff.

"Isn't he pissed or something?" 

"He knows it's a joke, sweetie. It's something normal between us two. You know, brother things." she twinkled at Pope, who gave her a little sympathetic smile.

When Pope finally got to the room, he first noticed how vast the bedroom was. Not just vast, but well-furnished and tidy. It had the size of his home's kitchen and seemed real comfy to stay in. 

JJ was set on the king-sized bed, his palms lounging on it, behind his back. His face was no longer reddish and he was eyeing Pope with a smiley expression.

"Alright, sir. That's your shelter." the blond got up, walking to the bathroom and opening its door. It took less than a minute until JJ approach again and, this time, with a lengthy new cotton towel. "You can use this to... you know, when you leave the bath. There's a green toothbrush on the sink I set aside for you and, uh... I'm gonna lend you some clothes of mine if you don't mind, of course." 

"Thank you." Pope said, honestly. He could swear he wasn't ever so honest in his life before. And well, he had a reason. Several reasons, to be clear.

"Oh, it's ok. You don't need to thank me, none of that really came from me." JJ assured, looking a bit skittish. He couldn't even look up at Pope's eyes.

"No, really, thank you. I obviously have to thank you for all you've done for us." Pope gulped, trying to make eye contact. There was something new inside him he couldn't find out what it was about. He only knew he could count on JJ to say what he was feeling, what he really wanted to say. He could catch the confidence in his eyes, something that told him JJ would never betray his trust.

"Us?" he twitched his lips, still looking down the ground. Mentioning his father, even though unintentionally nor directly, made him feel somehow qualmish and woeful. He was attached to the feeling of beholding his father as someone ruthless, harsh.

"I meant John and me. We're grateful." JJ decided to finally meet Pope's eyes and he found nothing than a pair of pearly black orbits saying the very truth, telling him what he truly thought. No lies. No jokes. Just the pure and concrete truth.

JJ appreciated this on people, even when they're the minority, even when most of them messed up his life bringing more sorrow than happiness. He was used to trusting people, to count on them even when they're unknown. This was his foible, trusting somebody else. And facing Pope the way he's staring at him right now made him think deep inside his heart. Because it's something tender. His heart was weak about that kind of decision. 

"No need to thank me, Pope." he grinned sorrowly, embracing himself because of the cold wind that came in through the window. JJ was still wearing his soaked blue t-shirt from the sea shower, just like Pope. "You guys are doing me a favor just being here. It's not every day someone comes and makes Kiara get out of this house to enjoy herself."

JJ bit his lower lip while looking down the ground. A relief sigh left his lips, then a gentle smile appeared.

"I'm gonna... I'm gonna go. I'll be right back with some clothes, so don't worry." he glanced one last time at Pope, then got out of the room without more arguments.

Pope couldn't even reply him back, JJ just slammed the door shut and left. The one stuck in the room did nothing but sighed. Overall, he was plenty pleased with JJ's real personality, the way he acted, and how he coped with all those things Pope had just said. But he wished he could at least have a true and long conversation with him, to make things clear, to knowledge more about his life and what John meant by mentioning his father.

Some things just caught Pope's attention. Some other things had him asking himself how reality could be that different, how everything's so distinct from what he'd honestly thought. JJ was one of them. Unlike what Pope thought of him and his acting manner, he was showing exactly the opposite, and John was extremely right, he and his arguments.

And yes, Pope could see how he cared about his friends and how much did he love his sister. He could see what people out of there thought it was the opposite. They didn't know him, after all. But there was something grating Pope couldn't discover, but he did notice in JJ's eyes. Something hailing him to go deeper. To peruse JJ from head to toe.

Pope wasn't the best watcher in the world, but he could try as well. People say the art of watching is the safest way to knowledge. And he wanted to know more about that mystery called Maybank siblings.

After that, he decided to take a rapid shower and turned on the cold water. It would be a good trigger for him to be able to think better, not to let his head overthink bullshit instead of healthy thoughts. And it helped a lot sometimes, at least it used to help him forget his problems and distress.

When he got out of the bathroom, the first thing he saw was the amount of clothes upon the bed. He immediately reminded about JJ's warning and he felt a little upset not to thank the boy personally for doing that in his own will. It was all right anyway. He could do that tomorrow morning when he wakes up early to go back to his house.

It kind of feels contradictory, sleeping on an unknown and comfy bed that isn't his. But, at the same time, he was thankful for having the chance.

[...]

The other morning Kiara was the first who got up and she made sure to wake the boys in the most annoying and loudest way possible. So she had the fantastic idea of maximizing the TV's sound while a firetruck siren played loudly and annoyingly from her Spotify playlist. 

It took less than two minutes until the three boys walked down the stairs scared, horrified. Their eyes wide, their hearts beating frantically and there was Kiara, stuck on the living room floor, facing them with a big amusing smile of fulfillment. 

"What the hell?" John took the decision of representing the other two. Kiara almost laughed at his sleepy face. His hair was no longer tidy, but it seemed he tried at least to fix it. 

"No way you did that again..." JJ was the one scratching his drowsy eyes. He wasn't even thinking straight, but he did recognize the sound from many days ago when Kiara did that for the first time.

Pope, who was behind the two boys, just averted a little laugh. He wasn't angry at Kiara for doing that, he knew she could do anything audacious just to catch anyone's attention.

"Nice joke, kid." he uttered while Kiara got close to him to high-five.

"Wait, you guys are conspiring together?" John eyed them with his characteristic dumb face. 

Pope and Kiara looked at each other for a second, their looks making some sense that time. What if it was a new brotherhood forming and they could actually conspire together to disturb their besties? None of them really knew, but why not joke around?

"It was her idea, I swear!" Pope said in a defensive way, then Kiara poked his arm with fake anger.

"What? No! It was him, he's the true guilty!" she replied back, eying Pope wildly. 

John rolled his eyes, then looked at JJ, that was sleeping standing up with his eyes closed and his head against the stairs' wall. His mouth was a little bit opened and a trail of drool was falling down his chin.

The scene made Pope feel somehow weird, and it wasn't the first time it'd happen. His eyes were wholly glued to the sleepy boy in front of him and he could feel nothing than an extreme urge to stay there, gazing him all day long. He didn't know if it was his messy blond hair, or even his little opened mouth, but it still caught his attention.

He swallowed hard and looked away, more specifically at the ground, where he could at least recompose himself without nobody glancing at him dubiously. He didn't even know what was happening to him. 

"Have I said he's a deep sleeper?" Kiara asked, but it sort of sounded like a rhetorical question. "Just tickle his neck, it's his tender point."

Pope grimaced softly, making Kiara laugh at his face. He'd find it funny if he wasn't having a mental break down because of his mind's awkward thoughts. John, who was in front of the unconscious boy, just spun and approached calmly until reaching JJ's neck with his hand. So he removed a track of hair from behind it to ease the work.

Pope ended up noticing something more in JJ. He's got a tiny brownish birthmark on the inferior corner of his neck, it almost reaching his left shoulder. Well, he didn't know if it'd be useful or stuff, but that was something his watching mode provided for him. And he better know what his mind was planning making him think madnesses and nonsense things.

"Oh, fuck! S-Stop it! Sto-" the blonde was squirming against John's movements and wrapped himself with his own arms to avert being touched one more time. "Dude, I'm not saying it again, just-"

The morning passed by just like that, full of tickling hands and smiles. Before they could even have breakfast, Kiara made them take a shower first. In Pope's view, she was taking over the group's mother position, and it kind of sounded playfully good. Having someone stubborn and mentally healthy was like a victory, because he might say John and JJ had a screw loose honestly.

The two boys he could call them Dumb and Dumber, having the same sense of humor and identical personalities. Almost twins if we fact on their almost equally long hair and tan skin, not excepting their womanizer fame or how good-looking they seemed to be. And, uh, Pope wasn't going to deny it, he had the right to find his friends handsome as much as a woman had the right to find a woman even more beautiful.

And it was alright though. Who's never?

Pope and John's farewell time had come and it was right after their not-so-perfectly made breakfast.

Before they could even leave the house, JJ hurried to wear his greyish robe and took Kiara's too. His hair was a little bit messy that time, but he did the right thing leaving his golden bangs behind not to prevent his eyes from seeing well.

"So..." the group was all outside the house's vast area, by the gate's side. Kiara mustered strength and started to say what she wanted so much the boys to listen to. "I don't know how to thank you guys for yesterday night, I'm just... I'm grateful, for real. You guys are incredible."

John let a kind smile raise on his lips. Pope did the same, feeling warm inside.

"Never thought you were gonna end up saying that after calling me dumb all night long." John uttered in a playfully way. 

"Oh, ok, I take it back then." she said and both of them chuckled softly.

There was a moment when Pope's eyes met JJ's in the middle of the friendly conversation and they carried on just like this, gazing at each other while grinning at what somehow told them it was the beginning of a friendly flirt. And it was perfectly normal. Being on someone's watch was perfectly normal if nobody tells you otherwise.

And if Pope really appreciated keeping JJ's gaze on his, then he should actually be relaxed. He's got nothing to worry about, after all. Friends do that sometimes, don't they?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That's it, guys. As I said in the previous chapter, Kiara and JJ's dad will appear soon and it'll change the story's current mood, so get ready and that's it. Bye :)
> 
> (sorry if I wrote smth wrong, I've reviewed it but still)


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